Thanks so much for all the replies so far... I knew the list was too long and somewhat messy since some of the listings with someone's name may be people/designers who have contracted with another manufacturer to produce a line with their "brand/name" stamped on it instead... but when I posted on the furniture forum I didn't get many responses when just asking for quality, so I thought it might help to have a list to jog some responses. Reviews mean a lot to me when making purchasing decisions, and I am coming at the upholstered world with very little knowledge. A few years ago after a lot of research back then, I purchased our first two pieces of upholstered furniture that were not "hand-me-downs" or cheap college purchases, and I went with Lee Industries. Unfortunately I think we only sat on that sofa and beautiful chair two times before we found out my husband's job required a major move, and since we had purchased them during a promotion, we were able to get most of our money out of them through Craigslist, which was better than paying mover's to transport our things and pay for storage since we'd be landing in a partially-furnished rental for the first year. Since then I have read a lot of conflicting Lee reviews, including on GW/nowHouzz, and so it feels like starting over, but I'm still leaning that way. I tend to like to spend money on experiences vs. things, so I really want to get as many decades out of our furniture purchases as possible, even if paying a little more on the front end for quality to make that happen. Though a poster above was spot on - they just don't make 'em today like they used to, do they... I wish they did! My favorite chair in our house is from my husband's 87-ish year-old-grandmother, and it was second-hand when she bought it many years ago, so I guess it's third-hand by now. There are a few stains, but it sits perfectly, and I would never recover the embroidered linen on it unless it wears through - I can't even imagine what that kind of fabric would cost today. Re: case goods... I know my standards on that front are only because my parents own a small mom-and-pop store in the Midwest that sells solid wood case goods, mostly Amish-made. While it isn't all my style, that is how we ended up with hand-me-downs, and so over the years my Dad has drilled into me to look for solid-built, solid wood quality. If not for the family discount on that front, my preferences might be different. To answer the question above about veneer - the reason why I excluded veneer is because they don't carry anything with particle board or veneer, but I also want to avoid veneer because in our current rental, two side tables that are not ours have nicks through the veneer that reveal the mdf or particle board underneath, and they just aren't wearing like the the 10+ year old coffee table we got from my parents, which still looks pretty perfect. Our pedestal breakfast table is the same one I sat at for dinner each night as a child, and other than the fact that it has been refinished once and that oak is currently off-trend, it looks pretty indestructible. I wouldn't pick the oak today, but the table has a nostalgia that will keep it with us. I hope to update the look a bit with upholstered chairs around it. If I could edit the thread list down after the fact, I would, but unfortunately it looks like the time window for changes has passed. Thanks again for all the reviews so far, it really helps to know what has worn well and what to look for... sounds like I may need to start looking at some estate sales and craiglist ads too...

The cabinet and tile totals are pretty darn low for the look and level that you appeared to want. Those are the Big Two that standout in the contract and the photos. I would have taken that as a Red Flag to research exactly what was being proposed for those. I would have expected the project to be a minimum of 50-75K more than what you paid, to get the look and quality that you assumed you would get here. If the tile is properly waterproofed in wet areas, and that is a HUGE IF, then I’d be inclined to have some of the worst in the non wet areas tweaked as best as their skill allows. And leave the wet areas alone. Maybe an epoxy grout colorant matched yo the background color in order to minimize the contrast. If the wet areas are not waterproofed correctly, that is a tearout and redo. That is unacceptable at any price point. But, I’d just settle for a credit for all of the tile work and hire someone else. It will not be nearly enough to pay for a redo from a true tile Pro though. That’s where that Red Flag on price will bite you, The cabinets are total TX backyard hobbyist junk and need to be gone. There is no salvaging that type of poor work, and improper finishing. I’d want a credit for all of the cabinet work in the house. It’s builder grade and finished with their feet. All flash and no substance. That credit will not be enough to get cabinets at the level that you wanted either. Pretty far from it. Another Red Flag. This is going to get ugly, because he is going to end up owing you more than you have left to pay him. And it will cost you another 50-100K to get things done to the level that you want. Or, you accept that the level you wanted isn’t reachable within your desired budget, and accept the level that your budget and contractor were able to give you.

@calidesign glad to hear you think that because I was just staring at the space today (see purple drywall below) and that's just what I was thinking! @Lady Driver, I am all ears on glazing techniques in case we go back to paint. Alas! We received the sample Blue Mose tile today and were disappointed. The color was much darker than what we're seeing in photos, including the photos of customer reviews. Wondering if I should order another sample? Try a sample from Wayfair instead? I think HD and Wayfair are the only sellers of this crazy tile.

Wow that would cure me on West Elm for sure. I have actually had very good results with my CB2 purchses I have 2 chairs from them different from eachother that are used daily for the last 12 yrs and still look and act like new. I also have a guest bed that is not used as often but seems to be holding well.Your budget is good so you need to go shopping comfort is personal and unless this is only to be used as a spare bed you need to sit and lay down to make sure this is a good purchase. IMO the mattress is the big deal with most hidea beds many are just too thin to be comfortable even for one night.Also you need to mention your style for sure .